Ruto’s Somali Identification Initiative Fuels Tensions Over Ethnic Dynamics in Kenya
In a candid discussion on February 10, 2025, Owino’s words laid bare an unsettling truth: the vetting procedure imposed on Somalis had inadvertently fostered corruption. “We just created an opportunity for people to eat,” he remarked, encapsulating the sentiment that this process was more a bureaucratic charade than a necessity. Isn’t it ironic how measures intended to strengthen can instead unravel at the seams?
Kenya’s existing ID registration process, according to Owino, is robust enough, encompassing thorough verification procedures for all citizens. So why single out Somalis for additional scrutiny? This, he argued, was not only superfluous but dangerously edged into the realms of discrimination. Somalis faced bewildering logistical hurdles; imagine being born and bred in the urban sprawl of Nairobi, yet compelled to journey to a far-flung ancestral village for vetting. “You find individuals who went to primary school, high school, and university in Nairobi, yet their children are sent to Mandera to be vetted. They were born here, and their documents read here,” Owino elaborated, painting a picture of bureaucratic absurdity.
Critics, however, posit that jettisoning the vetting process could weaken identity verification, potentially imperiling national security. Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, once the Rift Valley regional commissioner, expressed concern about distinguishing between Somali nationals from Somalia and Kenyan-born Somalis without these checks. “If people can obtain IDs without verification, how do we distinguish between a Somali from across the border and a Kenyan from Wajir, Garissa, or Mandera? The language, culture, and religion are identical,” Natembeya cautioned ominously in a local media interview.
Political maneuvering also rears its head in this debate. Opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka accused President Ruto of exploiting the reform to maneuver voter registration in preparation for the 2027 elections. Musyoka’s skepticism was palpable in Kilifi on February 9, 2025, as he alleged Ruto’s efforts were a bid to broaden his political base by dismantling the vetting procedure. “This man is panicking. He thinks he can register voters here and there by providing people with IDs. I assure you that those who benefit from this will be the first to turn against him. Everyone is struggling, just like the rest,” Musyoka declared, infusing the discourse with a touch of political theater.
As the debate rages, several regional leaders celebrate the change, heralding the end of an era marked by racial scrutiny against ethnic Somalis in Kenya. Wajir Deputy Governor Ahmed Mohamed Abdi, affectionately known as Caato, contends that the vetting process has historically marginalized Somali communities, obstructing their access to crucial national identity documents. “Somalis are a nomadic people who frequently move, and obtaining ID cards has always been a challenge. The removal of these restrictions is long overdue and brings equality to the process,” he articulated in a BBC interview. Security and identity documentation, he suggested, should not be conflated; Somalis should adhere to the same registration protocols as all Kenyan citizens.
Meanwhile, Faruk Kibet, a senior aide to Ruto, dismissed security alarms, contending that detractors were merely stoking ethnic discord. “Those criticizing this move are playing tribal politics. They are attempting to divide the country along ethnic lines for political gain,” Kibet asserted, casting aspersions on the motives of those opposing the reform.
This confluence of perspectives paints a complex landscape. Is it possible to balance national security with inclusivity? Can one disentangle identity from institutionalized bias? Striking this balance remains the perennial challenge in Kenya’s socio-political theater, as stakeholders from all sides grapple with the implications of dismantling a system that has long shaped identity politics within the nation.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
